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Palestine Diaries

courtesy The Electronic Intifada

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Map of Israel's planned "security fence", adapted for clarity from Gush Shalom map. Gush Shalom notes: The Israeli government did not publish full, official maps of the wall. The path of the Eastern wall was compiled by the Land Research Center and the Palestinian Hydrology Group, based on expropriation orders issued to Palestinian land owners.

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Video Archives
Audio Archives

VIDEO
BBC:
Gap Between CIA
And Bush Stories
posted 10/9/02

VIDEO
BBC:
Region As
Unsettled As It's
Ever Been
10/9/02

VIDEO
BBC:
"No compromise
here"
posted 10/8/02

VIDEO
BBC:
Another Gaza
Attack
posted 10/6/02

VIDEO
BBC:
PA's Erekat: We
Need International
Protection Now
posted 10/6/02

VIDEO
BBC:
Khalil Shikaki, CPR:
'Chances slim for
negotiation'
posted 9/28/02

PHOTOS
Islam Online:
Arafat HQ
Destroyed
posted 9/25/02

PHOTOS
Islam Online:
Nine Palestinians Killed In Gaza
posted 9/24/02

VIDEO
Konscious:
Metal of Dishonor
The Face of US
War on Iraq
posted 9/18/02

VIDEO
BBC:
Sabra & Shatila
Is Sharon A
War Criminal?
posted 9/13/02

VIDEO
CBC:
Israeli
Army Was
Embarrassed
By Release
of Video
released 3/18/02
posted 9/6/02

Video Archives

Conflict..

IOF Kills Three Palestinian Citizens in Rafah International Press Center 10/16/2003 RAFAH, Gaza Strip, October 16, 2003 (IPC)-- The Israeli occupying forces (IOF) killed Thursday three Palestinian citizens and wounded five others including three children in “Al Barazil” neighborhood of Rafah, south of Gaza Strip, IPC Correspondent said.Waleed Abed Al Wahab , 30, was killed after being shot in the chest with live ammunition while Walled Abdel A’l, 20-year-old, was shot on the head with the same ammunition, DrAli Mossa , Director of Al Najar hospital in Rafah, said. A third Palestinian citizen died of wounds he sustained last week in Rafah....In the incursion, which is still ongoing till now, the Israeli soldiers ravaged the aforementioned neighborhood, storming in the houses, searching and messing up its contents. Snipers also took positions on the rooftops of houses, shooting indiscriminately at civilians, locals told IPC correspondent. Two Women Shot and Wounded in Gaza, Five Arrested in Jenin International Press Center 10/17/2003 Gaza, Palestine, October 17, 2003, (IPC)- - Two Palestinian women were shot and wounded Friday by Israeli occupation forces (IOF) in Gaza while five citizens were arrested in the West Bank city of Jenin. Palestinian medical sources reported that two women named as Mahasin and Salwa Abuloz, were wounded after being shot by IOF in Gaza. Israeli tanks, stationed at the “green line” (separated between the Palestinian and the Israeli territories) opened fire at Palestinian houses, east of Gaza, injuring two women, Palestinian security sources said. Earlier on Friday, at least five Palestinian citizens were arrested when IOF broke into two villages adjacent to Jenin, IPC correspondent said....In the city of Tulkarem, IOF, stationed at the “Apartheid Wall” prevented tens of Palestinian farmers from reaching their olive fields. For the secondweek Palestinian farmers have been trying to pick up the olive but the Israelis prevent them. One Child, Three Citizens Wounded by IOF and Jewish Settlers Continue Desecrating Holy Sites in the OPT International Press Center 10/16/2003 NABLUS, Palestine, October 16, 2003 (IPC + Agencies) - - Israeli occupying forces (IOF) shot and wounded a Palestinian child in the "Balata" refugee camp near Nablus, and three more citizens during a recent attack on the city of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip. In the "Balata" refugee camp, IPC correspondent reported that IOF troops opened fire at a group of Palestinian citizens in the camp, wounding 14-year old Yasser Salam. The child's wounds were described as moderate by hospital officials in Nablus City. Meanwhile in the city of Nablus, armed Jewish settlers, under the protection of IOF troops, broke into the "Yousif Tomb" holy site in the city, under the pretext of performing prayers, early this morning, IPC correspondent said. IDF kills Palestinian policeman, wounds five in Rafah operations Ha'aretz 10/17/2003 A Palestinian policeman was killed and five people were wounded during an Israel Defense Forces operation before dawn yesterday near the refugee camps on the border of the Gaza Strip and Egypt. Dozens of tanks, bulldozers and armored personnel carriers swept into the Brazil neighborhood before dawn and surrounded it, Palestinian sources said. In the exchange of gunfire between the IDF and militant Palestinians, Walid Abed Alwahab, a policeman, was killed. Palestinian forces arrest US bomb attack suspects The Independent 10/17/2003 Palestinian security forces have arrested several suspects in the bomb attack on an American convoy in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday in which three US security guards were killed. The arrests came as FBI agents travelled to Gaza to meet with Palestinian security officials, and were shrouded in secrecy. In Jabalya refugee camp, there were ugly scenes as masked militants exchanged fire with security forces as they came to round up the suspects. In some instances, the Palestinian security forces prevailed, taking away their man. In at least one case they retreated, and at least one suspect was believed to be still at large. Reports on More arrests in Relation to Wednesday Bombing International Middle East Media Center 10/17/2003 A leader of the Popular Resistance Committees denied Thursdayany relation to the bombing of the American convoy, saying: "We made clear to the Palestinian Authority we had nothing to do with the bombing. We were stunned by the unjustified arrests,"Palestinian authorities said Thursday that they, so far, detained eight group members for questining. While Israeli security described the arrests as imaginary and designed to placate the U.S., Palestinian President Yasser Arafat said that it was too early to drive any conclusion on the incident. Jews flee before Palestinian attack on Joseph's Tomb Ha'aretz 10/17/2003 A large group of Jewish worshipers who visited Joseph's Tomb near Nablus yesterday was evacuated by the Israel Defense Forces moments before a Palestinian attack on the site. The tomb, which the Oslo Accords had left in Israeli hands, was evacuated by the IDF during the first days of the Al-Aqsa Intifada, in October 2000, following a fierce gun battle. It was subsequently almost totally destroyed by the Palestinians. Syrian military put on alert Al-Jazeera 10/17/2003 Syria's chief of staff has told the armed forces to be on alert to repel any possible Israeli aggression. The official state news agency quoted Lieutenant General Hasan Turkmani on Thursday as urging "fighters to keep working day and night and stay at maximum readiness and be alert to repel any possible aggression of (Israeli Prime Minister Ariel) Sharon's government." He said Israel, which attacked a target near Damascus earlier this month, was trying to export its domestic crises by harassing Syria. Palestinian: Settlers steal olive harvest Ha'aretz 10/17/2003 The Palestinian owner of several olive groves in the West Bank villages of Jayyus and Ratiz complained to police Friday that residents of nearby Jewish settlements cut down branches from his trees and harvested the olives. Representatives of rights groups who were trying to ensure that the harvest – a flashpoint of violence in recent years – went off without incident. When they reached the grove, however, they discovered that several of the trees had already been harvested. The owners of the groves claimed that settlers had been active in the area in recent days, and that, in addition to stealing olives, had cut down branches. Jenin revisted in devastated Rafah Al-Jazeera 10/16/2003 It was a scene of absolute destruction in Rafah last week - likened by UN officials to the aftermath of a powerful earthquake. In some areas lay a completely flattened landscape, in others burned out buildings stood side by side with shelled houses.Elsewhere, nothing remained but the rubble of refugee shelters and their occupants’ belongings. Hundreds of residents could be seen fleeing the camp on donkey carts piled with blankets and what little possessions were salvageable, making them refugees twice over. Palestinian leaders put camps on war footing Daily Star 10/17/2003 Security measures taken in anticipation of Israeli offensive -- Palestinian leaders in Lebanon have taken preventive security measures in anticipation ofpossible Israeli aggression targeting refugee camps, Palestinian security sources said Thursday. Commanders from Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah have reportedly instructed their guards to enhance security measures against their homes and offices, while Popular Committees which are in charge of the camps’ security and social affairs, are preparing to declare a state of emergency. Shin Bet arrests PA official for smuggling weapons into Gaza (update) Ha'aretz 10/17/2003 The Shin Bet security service released Thursday that it had arrested Palestinian Authority official Akram Tubasi in September on suspicion of buying weapons in Egypt and smuggling them into the Gaza Strip, Israel Radio reported. Defense sources also implicated former PA security affairs minister Mohammed Dahlan in the weapons-smuggling, Army Radio reported. Tubasi, a 31-year-old Rafah resident who served in the Palestinian coast guard, told his questioners that he used tunnels in Rafah to smuggle the weapons to Gaza, security officials were quoted as saying. PA holds 8 suspected of U.S. convoy attack Ha'aretz 10/17/2003 Palestinian security forces yesterday arrested eight suspects in the bomb attack against a convoy of U.S. Embassy personnel traveling through Gaza on Wednesday that killed three American security officers. In an operation that began in the early morning hours, eight members of the Popular Resistance Committees and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) were arrested by officers of the Preventive Security Apparatus, an organization controlled by Mohammed Dahlan in Gaza. News Briefs: Military clashes at the entrance of Balata Refugee Camp International Middle East Media Center 10/17/2003 Two Palestinians have been injured in an exchange of fire with the Israeli Army, thursday night, at the entrance of Balata Refugee Camp in the east of West Bank city of Nablus....Special Units arrest five Palestinians from Bethlehem

Diplomacy..

Sharon: Arafat expulsion not likely Al-Jazeera 10/17/2003 The Israeli prime minister has hinted that Israel will not expel Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat from the Occupied Territories. Ejecting Arafat "would not be good for Israel", Ariel Sharon said in a Jerusalem Post interview on Friday. "Our calculations for years have been that expelling him would not be good for Israel," Sharon told the English-language daily. "Also, the likehood of expelling him without harming him is low, not only because of his security guards, but because he would be surrounded by a human chain of Palestinians." Palestinians Overwhelmingly Condemn Gaza Anti-US Blast Palestine Chronicle 10/17/2003 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM - Palestinian leadership, President Yasser Arafat, PM Ahmad Qurei, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) and factions, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, condemned the Gaza bomb blast that killed three US nationals on Wednesday. Al-Jazeera satellite TV station early Thursday reported that Palestinian police arrested three suspects. Then AP reported that Palestinian police arrested five people in connection with a deadly attack on a US diplomatic convoy, security officials said. Witnesses said a gunfight erupted during the raid. UN meeting on Israeli apartheid wall Al-Jazeera 10/17/2003 The UN General Assembly will hold a special meeting on Monday on Israel's West Bank barrier after the United States vetoed a resolution condemning it at the world body’s Security Council. Resolutions passed by the assembly reflect world opinion but are not legally binding like those of the council, where the United States has regularly blocked resolutions it believes are unfairly critical of close ally Israel....Palestinian UN representative Nasir al-Kidwa said that in addition to a resolution on the barrier, the assembly would also be asked to vote on another measure to request a legal judgment on thebarrier from the World Court. Defense Minister Mofaz: Winds of war aren't blowing from Damascus Ha'aretz 10/17/2003 There are no signs at this time suggesting an impending military conflict with Syria, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said Friday evening. "No, I don't think the winds of war are blowing from Damascus," Mofaz said in an interview on Channel One TV. "I believe that [Syrian President] Bashar al-Assad understood after the air strike...that we won't accept a reality in which terror command posts inside Damascus, connected to Hamas and Islamic Jihad, issue orders to carry out harsh terror attacks." Assad slams attacks on ‘moderate’ Islam Daily Star 10/17/2003 Syrian president does not directly address threat from US -- PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia: Syrian President Bashar Assad stunned the Organization of the Islamic Conference on Thursday with a speech that sternly defended the Palestinians’ “legitimate fight against aggression” and decried a perceived campaign to stereotype and demonize Muslims, but made no mention of his country’s worsening standoff with the United States and Israel. Participants in the first meeting of the 57-member OIC in three years had braced for a Syrian response to Wednesday’s 398-4 vote in the US House of Representatives endorsing the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act, which proposes political and economic sanctions against Damascus. Threats follow insufficient Mid East efforts EU Observer 10/17/2003 EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – EU leaders today (17 October) told the Israeli and Palestinian authorities that their relations with the Union are at risk if they do not "immediately implement" polices which further peace, a significant cranking up of the diplomatic rhetoric. In a statement issued after the EU’s autumn summit, leaders have called upon Israel to "abstain" from "extra-judicial killings", expressed their concern about the security fence and pressed the Palestinian authority to take "decisive steps" to control security. The text also contains an open threat to both sides that relations with the EU will be "inevitably affected" by failure to "immediately implement polices conducive to dialogue and negotiations". Heated Dispute in Israel over Prisoner's Swap International Middle East Media Center 10/17/2003 The prisoners' swap with Hezbollah is still facing serious objections especially from the side of the missing since 1982 air force pilot Ron Arad's family and friends, who held a rally in Tel Aviv in the 17th anniversary of his missing. Family members and supporters of Arad argue that no deal should be finalized without information on his fate and demands that Hezbollah leaders Mustafa Dirani and Ibrahim Ubid, who were kidnapped from inside Lebanon 15 years ago for the purpose of bargaining with Hezbollah for the release of Arad, to stay in custody until information on the fate of the missing pilot are revealed. Facing US sanctions, Syria responds with olive branch Christian Science Monitor 10/17/2003 Thursday, Syria supported a US-backed Security Council resolution on postwar Iraq, which passed unanimously. -- BEIRUT, LEBANON – Syrian-US relations have hit an all-time low with the House of Representatives passing a bill that calls for sweeping sanctions against Damascus. The one-sided 398-4 vote Wednesday came as no surprise, given the depth of mistrust between the two countries. But analysts say that sanctions will have little economic effect on Damascus, are unlikely to herald significant changes in Syrian policy, and could backfire on US interests in Iraq. Peace Now activist, MK Melchior address Senate panel on road map Ha'aretz 10/17/2003 WASHINGTON - The U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, which met on Wednesday to discuss the future of the Middle East road map, heard a survey on the settlements from Dror Etkes, director of Peace Now's Settlements Watch Project. Etkes proposed during the session, entitled "The Middle East Road Map: Overcoming Obstacles to Peace," that instead of deducting Israel's investments in the territories from the loan guarantees to Israel, the U.S. should transfer the money to a fund for resettling the settlers within the Green Line. Quoting extensively from a Haaretz report on the cost of the settlements in the West Bank, Etkes said continued support of them is harmful to Israel's interests. Gov't overlooks Swiss role in Geneva Accord Ha'aretz 10/17/2003 Israel has decided to overlook the involvement of the Swiss government in financing and organizing the talks that produced the Geneva Accords, a government source said yesterday. The source said that the Foreign Ministry decided against an official protest to Switzerland because "the moment you say the Geneva affair is irrelevant, what's the point of protesting against it? The protest will only show that it is significant and relevant." Meanwhile, Negev kibbutzim whose lands lie near the Gaza Strip have joined the government in denouncing the Geneva document, which would transfer some 90,000 dunams of their land to the Palestinian state-to-be in exchange for lands in the West Bank that Israel retain. PM ready to release Dirani in Hezbollah prisoner swap Ha'aretz 10/17/2003 Prime Minister Ariel Sharon believes that a prisoner exchange with the Hezbollah must be carried out to save Elhanan Tannenbaum from his captors, and is willing to release Lebanese militant Mustafa Dirani, who is being held in an Israeli prison, despite public protests against his release. Sharon also suggests that the examination of the circumstances under which Tannenbaum arrived in Lebanon should be done only after he is returned to Israel. FBI, PA officials meet on bombing of U.S. convoy in Gaza Ha'aretz 10/17/2003 The U.S. embassy in Israel on Friday suspended until further notice all trips to the Gaza Strip by American officials, Israel Radio reported. Embassy officials said that security precautions were also being considered for American delegations traveling to Palestinian areas. On Wednesday, three American officials were killed when a bomb went off next to a diplomatic convoy in the Gaza Strip. A senior embassy official said Friday that the question was being considered whether the Palestinians were still partners with the U.S. He said that American aid to the Palestinians would continue, as well as consulate services. Israel Must be Forced to Cease Building Wall say 100 UK MPs Palestine Chronicle 10/17/2003 "The motion said that the wall will incorporate 91 per cent of all illegal West Bank settlements and 98 per cent of its Jewish settlers and annex the richest agricultural land in the region .." -- LONDON - A parliamentary petition calling on the British government to exert "all available pressure" on Israel to cease building a dividing wall deep in Palestinian territory has received all party support. The Early Day Motion, signed by 100 MPs on Thursday, reminded the UK of its responsibility of being a high-contracting party of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which forbids the destruction of property and confinement of people by an occupier. UN General Assembly to convene Monday on separation fence Ha'aretz 10/17/2003 The UN General Assembly will convene on Monday to discuss a proposal by Arab-bloc states that it condemn Israel for building the West Bank separation fence, Israel Radio reported. The Palestinians said Thursday they want the Assembly to condemn lsrael for building the barrier that juts into the West Bank. The United States has blocked the Security Council from declaring it illegal. The Palestinians also are seeking to raise the issue of the barrier before the International Court of Justice, in The Hague, Netherlands, said Nasser Al-Kidwa, the Palestinians' UN observer. Sharon rules out expelling Arafat BBC 10/17/2003 Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has backed down from a government decision to expel Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. In an interview with the Jerusalem Post newspaper, Mr Sharon said expelling Mr Arafat "would not be good for Israel". But the prime minister also said there was little chance of a peace deal as long as Yasser Arafat remained leader of the Palestinians. The comments come amid increasing pressure on Mr Arafat in the wake of Wednesday's bombing in the Gaza Strip that killed three United States security personnel travelling with a diplomatic convoy. The ''Geneva Accord'' Miftah 10/15/2003 The Geneva Accords are an effort to formulate a complete final-status agreement, without Sharon's long-term interim agreements. The agreement is presented as a draft for the final phase of the “road map” peace plan, which is due to end in 2005. The 50-page draft peace agreement was completed over the weekend in neighboring Jordan by the two delegations, which included current legislators and former cabinet members on both sides. The proposal offers highly specific solutions and calls for major compromises on the most sensitive issues that have torpedoed previous peace efforts, ranging from the status of Palestinian refugees to Israeli settlements.

Human Rights..

Arrested while Harvesting Olives International Solidarity Movement 10/17/2003 Yesterday five ISMers went to the village of Awarta outside Nablus. We wanted to give support to the farmers during their olive harvest. On a mountaintop close to the village lies the settlement of Itamar. Last year there were many reports of violence from the settlers during the harvest season. This caused Israel some inconvenience and bad reputation abroad. This year the strategy from the authorities is to simply forbid people from picking near the settlement. All villages are given a few dates when they are allowed to pick. Awarta is unlucky and got only two days. 21-22 of October. The rest of the year they are not allowed to enter their own fields. Adalah to Government: Plan to Demolish Arab Homes in the Naqab, the Galilee and the Triangle is Illegal Adalah 10/14/2003 Adalah submitted a letter, dated 2 October 2003, to Attorney General Elyakim Rubenstein, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Minister of Internal Security Tzachi Hanegbi, and Minister of Industry and Trade Ehud Olmert, challenging the legality of a recent government plan, as reported in the Hebrew press, to increase the demolition of homes throughout the country belonging to Palestinian citizens of Israel. Parents of peace activists fight on Al-Jazeera 10/17/2003 The grieving parents of two international peace activists - one of whom is dead and the other lying in a coma after being shot by the Israeli army - vowed to continue their fight for truth and justice. Jocelyn Hurndall, mother of Tom Hurndall – who was shot in the head by a sniper whilst attempting to shepherd Palestinian children away from danger – delivered a letter of protest to British Prime Minister Tony Blair, demanding that he pressure Israel to carry out a full and transparent enquiry into the death of her son. Testimony: Paramedics under siege FromOccupiedPalestine.org 10/17/2003 We spoke with Mahmoud in the sleeping quarters of the Palestine Red Crescent Society station in Jenin on the afternoon of October fourth. As the old ceiling fan hummed and one of Mahmoud's colleagues slept nearby underneath a clothesline of PRCS uniforms, Mahmoud spoke with distant reflection and thoughtfulness. Biting his lip and swallowing deeply, he recalled the stories slowly between pulls on his Arabic cigarettes. Born and raised in Jenin, Mahmoud is 35 years old and has been a PRCS paramedic for ten years. He has been arrested, beaten, humiliated and shot many times. He has 23 pieces of Israeli shrapnel embedded in his back, chest and shoulders. Three Other Palestinian Prisoners Plus 15 to Be Expelled To Gaza Strip International Press Center 10/16/2003 BETHLEHEM, Oct 16,2003 (IPC +PPS)_The Israeli high court issued yesterday a temporary precautionary order which suspended the expulsion of 15 Palestinian administrative detainees to Gaza Strip on 19 October by the IOF central command. The Palestinian Prisoner Society’s (PPS) solicitor, Jawed Bolis has appealed to the Israeli high court to preclude the expulsion to be into effect. The Israeli high court convened yesterday evening its hearing session of the petition. Day at the Checkpoints International Solidarity Movement 10/17/2003 Today we attempted to return to the village of Beit Furik, just east of Nablus, where we planned to accompany and protect villagers harvesting olives. We visited yesterday to assess the situation and we found out that people had been attacked by settler shots 2 days previous, injuring one elderly woman and beating and driving off all the farmers from their lands. We were told the settlement of Itamar is 3 kilometers away but there is an access road on the top of the hill and the frequently shoot from the top of the hill or charge down on foot to harass and beat Palestinians harvesting their olives. Last year one of our members currently with us was stoned by settlers here. Adalah to Court: Immediately Appoint Investigatory Judge to Examine the Unnatural Death of Palestinian Bedouin Citizen of Israel Adalah 10/16/2003 Today, 16 October 2003, Adalah filed a motion to the Magistrate Court in Beer Sheva (Beer el-Sebe) to immediately appoint an investigatory judge to examine the circumstances surrounding the unnatural death of Mr. Meteb Al-Nebari, a Palestinian Bedouin citizen of Israel. The motion was submitted on behalf of Mr. Atwa Mohammed Al-Nebari, the deceased's brother, pursuant to Article 19 of the Investigation into Circumstances of Death Law (1958). Adalah Attorneys Marwan Dalal and Morad El-Sana filed the motion....According to a police report received by Adalah, Mr. Al-Nebari died in the West Bank during the night of 13-14 October 2003: "An event took place near Negohot [a Jewish settlement] in the West Bank during which the person died."

Economy..

Green Line industrial zones will employ Palestinians barred from Israel Globes 10/17/2003 Two commercial zones will also be established, one adjacent to the Gaza Strip and the other to the West Bank. -- The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories is preparing a plan to set up seven industrial zones along the Green Line to employ Palestinians not allowed to enter Israel, due to security restrictions. The plan also includes two commercial areas, one in the West Bank and the other in Gaza. The industrial zone will straddle the Green Line, partly in Israeli and partly Palestinian territory. IDB, Al-Aqsa Fund Lobby for Assistance to Palestine Palestine Chronicle 10/17/2003 "The Palestinian economy has declined to less than half its 1999 strength. World Bank report estimated that real Gross National Income declined by 38 percent between 1999-2002 .." -- PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia - The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and Al-Aqsa Fund on Friday called on the OIC nations and the world at large to extend assistance to the Palestinian people. IDB president Ahmad Mohammad Ali and chairman of the Al-Aqsa Fund Yusuf Ibrahim al-Bassam together held a press conference on the sidelines of the OIC Summit calling for mobilizing resources to address the international crisis of humanity in Palestine and help restore empowerment, hope, integrity and dignity of the Palestinian people. Klein expected to cut Nov. interest rate by 0.4-0.5% Globes 10/17/2003 The Consumer Price Index unexpectedly fell by 0.5% in September. -- Governor of the Bank of Israel David Klein is expected to lower the interest rate by 0.4% for November, the same cut as in the preceding month, after the September Consumer Price Index unexpected fell by 0.5% in September, and inflation forecasts for the coming year were cut substantially. HSBC: September CPI means Bank of Israel must act decisively Globes 10/17/2003 HSBC may lower its 5.5% interest rate forecast for year-end 2003.-- "The real interest rate is higher than expected, following the September CPI, requiring decisive action by the Bank of Israel before the end of the month," states HSBC in its daily survey's reference to Israel. Raytheon to collaborate with IAI-Elta on civilian aircraft protection Globes 10/17/2003 The companies will jointly participate in US Department of Homeland Security tenders. -- US defense giant Raytheon (NYSE:RTN) will collaborate with IAI-Elta Electronics Industries to market anti-missile defense systems in the US. US airlines operate 7,000 passenger planes that are to be equipped with defense systems against shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, like the ones fired against an Arkia Airlines planes taking off from Mombasa, Kenya, in November 2002. IMI, Rafael sales to US rise, due to attacks on US forces in Iraq Globes 10/17/2003 IMI president and CEO Dr. Ehud Ganani: We're focusing on programs for the US Army ground forces following the lessons from the second Gulf war. The Iraq War and subsequent terrorist attacks has created business opportunities for Rafael and Israel Military Industries in the US. Executives of both companies met US officers in scores of meetings at the Association of the US Army (AUSA) Annual Conference in Washington last weekend. The meetings indicate great interest by the US military in the two company's products. IAI- Aeronautics UAV marketing agreement breaks down Globes 10/17/2003 Israel Aircraft Industries will not exercise its option to acquire 26% of Aeronautics UAV Systems. IAI: "Aeronautics UAV was dishonest." Aeronautics UAV: "IAI tried to take us over."-- Sources inform “Globes” that Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) and Aeronautics UAV Systems have suspended their collaboration on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV)....Leumi alleges that an example of IAI's behavior was its win in an IDF tender for a UAV to operate in the territories. IAI Searcher UAVs, which the Israel Air Force has used since 1992, will gather intelligence for operations in the Gaza Strip, Judea, and Samaria. Aeronautics UAV and IAI are in a legal conflict over this matter. "IAI benefits from tax-payers' money," says Leumi. "It can therefore lower its bids to a level that is even less than the price of fuel for the UAVs."

People..

Video: BBC Interviews Arafat BBC 10/17/2003 Video: Yasser Arafat gives an exclusive interview to the BBC Low pass rates among Palestinian students at UNRWA schools prompts mounting concern Daily Star 10/17/2003 Of those who sat brevet examinations during the 2002-03 term, less than half passed -- Palestinian activists and social workers are becoming increasingly concerned by the low pass rate of students sitting brevet examinations in UN Refugee Works Agency (UNRWA) schools. Forty-four percent of students who sat brevet examinations in UNRWA schools passed during the 2002-03 term. Brevet exams are a general test for 13- to 15-year-olds taken by all school students in Lebanon. UNRWA schools hold the examinations in early summer, and students who fail can re-sit their exams in September. This is in sharp contrast to UNRWA schools in Jordan and Syria, where approximately 90 percent of students passed their brevet exams, or their country’s equivalent. Wagering peace Globes 10/16/2003 Brothers Avi and Aharon Shaked are apparently Israel's wealthiest Internet players, worth an estimated NIS 3 billion. -- The guiding spirit behind the Geneva agreement is publicity-shy businessman Avi Shaked, 50. Media advisor Amir Dan says, "As an Israeli, Shaked fears for the fate of the peace and the country. He is convinced that something must be done to rescue the peace process from deadlock." Avi and Aharon Shaked are scions of a longstanding family of real estate developers in their hometown of Netanya. Together with brothers Shai and Ran Ben-Yitzhak, they founded a company to develop an online betting platform six years ago. Israeli Family Rescued By Palestinian Refugees Palestine Chronicle 10/17/2003 CAIRO - Here it is an easy example, a family of Jewish settlers lost its way in a West Bank refugee camp. Facing a wave of stone throwing by Palestinian refugees, mostly driven out of their homes by Israeli settlement activities in Palestinian areas, the family found the way to safety – unexpectedly. But the saviors were also Palestinians, who moved clearly for humanitarian reasons, nothing more. Mosque, church to be built at new airport terminal Ha'aretz 10/17/2003 A mosque and church will be available to passengers using the new terminal at Ben-Gurion International Airport being built as part of the Ben-Gurion 2000 project, due to open next summer. A new synagogue will also be built at the site, according to a letter from Telma Shamir, head of the public complaints department at the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), to a member of the public.

International..

Islamic Development Bank: Palestinian suffering 'catastrophic' Ha'aretz 10/17/2003 PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia - The Islamic Development Bank warned on Friday that Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza has led to "catastrophic" human suffering in the region, and called for Muslims and others to spend more on efforts to relieve it. The bank, based in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, made the appeal at a summit of the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference in Malaysia. Thinkers Launch Anti-Empire Drive Antiwar.com 10/17/2003 Representatives of a new coalition of prominent foreign-policy scholars and analysts whose political views range from right to centre-left announced here Thursday they hope to spearhead opposition to the imperial policies pursued by the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush. Leaders of the 'Coalition for a Realistic Foreign Policy' charged that the administration is moving "in a dangerous direction toward empire," an idea that they said has never been embraced by the U.S. public. Malaysia defends PM's statement that 'Jews rule world' Ha'aretz 10/17/2003 PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia - Malaysia on Friday defended Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's assertion that Jews rule the world, but apologized for any misunderstandings or offense caused, as outrage poured in from the United States and Europe condemning the remarks as outrageous. Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar, struggling to contain the controversy wrought by his blunt-spoken boss, said extensive remarks about Jews had been taken out of context in a speech primarily about empowering Muslims to become stronger, nonviolent actors on the world stage. Mahathir Denies Anti-Semitic Charge, Hits Out At Critics Islam Online 10/17/2003 PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia, October 17 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - A remark on Jews at the opening of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) summit landed Mahathir Mohammad in troubled waters, prompting OIC members to issues strong statements in defense of the retiring Malaysia’s premier who is now the chairman of the pan-Muslim organization. Speaking at a press conference Friday, October 17, after the close of the summit, Mahathir denied being anti-Semitic, asserting he was merely stating historical facts. OIC Slams Syria Sanctions, No Iraq Resolution Islam Online 10/17/2003 PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia , October 17 (IslamOnline.net) - Leaders and representatives of the 57-member Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) wrapped up their tenth summit Friday, October 17, with a resolution condemning the American sanctions on Syria, but no reference to the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq. Saudi elections 'in three years' BBC 10/17/2003 A prominent human rights campaigner in Saudi Arabia has told the BBC the government plans to hold national elections in three years time. Mohammed Said Tayeb says he has been told by Saudi Defence Minister Prince Sultan there will be a three-phase process culminating in partial elections for the country's consultative council, whose members are currently appointed. Pan-Arab boycott of US goods gains steam Daily Star 10/17/2003 Economic effects are impressive -- LONDON: A pan-Arab movement calling openly for the boycott of American products surfaced in 2002 following unconditional US support for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s policies and the siege of Yasser Arafat in Ramallah. The movement took off further in the wake of the occupation of Iraq. The Pew Research Foundation survey of 16,000 people in 20 countries published in May “found that favorable opinions of the US have slipped significantly.” While the economic implications of this phenomenon have not been fully measured, one cannot miss its significance. US world leader in arms sales, India spends $900 mn Hindustan Times 10/17/2003 The United States sells more arms than any other country, and Saudi Arabia leads the world for buying arms among developing countries while India spent 900 million dollars on weapons, a report from the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) said on Wednesday. The United States holds a 40.3 per cent market share in arms sales, raking in $10.241 billion from sales in 2002, according to the IISS annual report The Military Balance 2003-2004, on arms around the world. Arab Americans losing faith in Bush look to Democratic candidates San Francisco Chronicle 10/16/2003 The support of Arab Americans, who favored President Bush over Al Gore in 2000, is up for grabs this election, reflecting Arab disillusionment with the Bush administration's foreign and legal record since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Arab Americans have expressed frustration with stalled peace talks in the Middle East, voiced anger over Bush's handling of the war in Iraq and fear government steps to restrict their civil rights under powers to pursue terrorists in the USA Patriot Act. Survey Shows Most People Link Violence to Politics, Not Religion Palestine Chronicle 10/17/2003 WASHINGTON - Most respondents to a global survey on religion do not see their religion as a source of trouble or unrest. The poll surveyed beliefs and practices among 11 different religious groups in seven countries, including the United States. Despite a rise of terrorist attacks ostensibly in the name of religion and violent clashes among peoples of different faiths, the Global Religion Poll indicates most people link violence to politics, not religion. Ford Awards $20 Million Grant to New Israel Fund Forward 10/17/2003 The Ford Foundation has announced a $20 million partnership with the New Israel Fund, effectively putting the left-leaning Jewish group in charge of all the foundation's grants to Israeli causes. The foundation announced this week that it plans to bankroll a five-year "peace and social justice fund," which will grant between $3.4 million and $3.5 million annually to programs in Israel approved by the Washington-based New Israel Fund. The partnership translates into an increase of more than 50% in the foundation's annual contributions to Israeli civil rights and peace programs. In the past Ford's annual donations to such programs hovered between $2 million and $2.5 million. Campaign Confidential Forward 10/17/2003 Holiday Howard: Former Vermont governor Howard Dean is visiting a sukkah in the Empire State. The Democratic frontrunner will spend some time October 17 at the sukkah of Lincoln Square Synagogue, a Modern Orthodox synagogue on Manhattan's Upper West Side, mingling with Rabbi Adam Mintz and students. Afterward, he will repair to a room in the synagogue with a raft of Jewish communal leaders, including the Anti-Defamation League's national director, Abraham Foxman, and Jewish Council for Public Affairs chief Hannah Rosenthal.

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